One of the things that fascinates me about the Easter story is
the sudden change that took place in the disciples. One minute
they’re having a pity party, the next minute they’re taking on the
world! They went from crushed to confident in one day. What
happened that first Easter?
One of the things that fascinates me about the Easter story is the sudden change that took place in the disciples. One minute they’re having a pity party, the next minute they’re taking on the world! They went from crushed to confident in one day. What happened that first Easter?
Well, consider the condition of the disciples when Sunday rolled around: they were worn out. They had been through an incredibly rough week, which had brought them little sleep and lots of stress. Sound like some of the weeks you have? Doctors tell us that the most common cause of discouragement is physical and emotional exhaustion. When we get tired, we lose the ability to function physically, emotionally and even spiritually. Add to that the feeling of failure the disciples were feeling. At the time of the Lord’s greatest crisis, all the disciples deserted Jesus. By Sunday morning they were all throwing pity parties for themselves and wondering how they could have ever thought Jesus was the Messiah in the first place. They had succumbed to the all-too human tendency to get down on themselves, to label themselves as failures. Been there? Done that?
The fatigue and failure they were experiencing had exacted its toll on them. John 20:19 tells us that Sunday morning found them cowering behind locked doors. They had seen what happened to Jesus and were not particularly excited about their own prospects. “What if they kick in the door? What if they beat us? What if they nail us to a cross? What if, what if, what if?”
We’ve all played the “what if” game. Perhaps you know it by another name: fear. What do you fear the most? For most of us, it’s death. We don’t even want to talk about it. About the only people who are OK talking about death are kids. Here’s a few comments from kids that made me smile:
Raymond, 10, tells us, “A good doctor can help you so you won’t die, a bad doctor will send you to heaven.” But 9-year-old Marsha looks for the bright side: “When you die you don’t have to do homework in heaven, unless your teacher is there also.” And Gilda, 8, offers this sobering observation: “When you die they put you in a box and bury you in the ground because you don’t look too good.”
Indeed. And death brings such a sense of finality, doesn’t it? Yet the message of Easter is that death does not have to be the end. Ephesians 1:19 says, “How tremendous is the power available to us who believe in God. That power is the same divine energy which was demonstrated in Christ when He was raised from the dead.”
This verse says two very important things: First, the resurrection we celebrate on Easter is a demonstration of how powerful God is, and second, the same power that raised Christ from the dead is available to us! Here’s the point: If God can raise Jesus from the dead, He can certainly resurrect your life and handle any problem you give Him.
Realize that God’s presence gives you the power to start over. Notice the effect Christ’s presence had on the disciples, “The Jewish religious leaders were astounded … Peter and John standing there so confident, so sure of themselves! They were amazed and realized what being with Jesus had done for them!” (Acts 4:13)
The Jewish leaders were confused. These guys were nothing special, just ordinary men. On Saturday night they were cowering in a room with the doors locked. Two days later they’re in the middle of the street taking on all comers. What made the difference? Being with Jesus. Not merely knowing He was alive, but being with Him, having a relationship with Him.
Put your faith in Christ and don’t look back. God says, “Don’t dwell on what happened long ago. Watch the new thing I’m going to do in your life!” (Isaiah 43:18-19).
And please hear me on this: It’s never too late start over! Failure is never final unless you let it be. God is not nearly as interested in where you’ve been as He is in where you are going! All of us have skeletons in the closet; all of us can say, “I wish” and “what if.” Dwelling on those questions is a waste of time. Focus on your future. God specializes in new beginnings. That’s what Easter is all about: starting over! God wants to do something fresh in your life; let him!
